Word
necessary
Phoneticsnec·es·sary
US/ˈnɛsəˌsɛɹi/
UK/nˈɛsəsəɹi/
Definitions
01needed
A2 · Elementary
adj. needed in order to do something or to get a result.
adj. required or essential for a particular purpose or to achieve a specific result.
“Is it necessary to bring my passport to the bank today?”
“The committee decided that a full audit was necessary before they could approve the next phase of the project.”
Usage
Often used in the pattern 'it is necessary (for someone) to do something'.
Pitfall
It is necessary for you doing it.
It is necessary for you to do it.
The adjective 'necessary' is followed by a 'to' infinitive, not a gerund (-ing form).
Antonyms
02unavoidable
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. something that must happen and cannot be avoided.
adj. logically or physically inescapable; certain to occur.
“The company made some necessary changes to save money.”
“While the transition was difficult, most staff agreed it was a necessary consequence of the merger.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03toilet
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic · Humorous · Dialect
n. an old-fashioned or funny way to talk about the toilet.
n. a euphemistic term for a lavatory or outhouse.
“The old cottage still had an outdoor necessary at the back of the garden.”
“In the historical novel, the characters frequently referred to the outhouse as the necessary.”
Usage
Usually used with the definite article 'the'.
Teaching tip
This sense is very rare in modern English and is mostly found in period literature or used as a joke.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “necessary” in context.
Etymology
From Middle English necessarye, from Old French necessaire, from Latin necessārius (“unavoidable, inevitable, required”), variant of necesse (“unavoidable, inevitable”), probably from ne or non cessum, from the perfect passive participle of cēdō (“yield; avoid, withdraw”); see cede. Older use as a noun in reference to an outhouse or lavatory under the influence of English and Latin necessārium, a medieval term for the place for monks’ “unavoidable” business, usually located behind or attached to monastic dormitories.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Idioms
01. necessary evil
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
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